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Opera auditions for iPhone browser spot

Opera Software will be demonstrating its eponymous browser on Apple's iPhone next week, but don't expect to see it popping up in iTunes any time soon. The announcement comes ahead of Mobile World Congress, the industry's annual shindig in Barcelona, where Opera Software will be demonstrating Opera Mini running on an iPhone to …

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Anonymous Coward
Unhappy

hmm...

...if only there was some kind of alternate software download service for the iPhone, far from the control freakery of Apple.... then Opera could be released there, after it's declined for the app store of course

Bilgepipe
Jobs Halo
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Why?

Why bother? Opera is a bag of sh!te: missing controls, duff page layouts - I can't even open Google Mail with it. I'm happy to have Apple's "control freakery" keeping it - and other badly-written 1337 hax0r junk - away from me.

Detective Emil
WTF?

Well, we must be very confused then

"Apple thinks an alternative browser would confuse users ..." Umm, just do a search on "web browser " in the App Store, and you'll hit dozens of the things. I use one, iCab Mobile, every day.

Test Man
Stop
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Yep

It's a load of rubbish anyway, because it's hardly going to confuse users who will have to specifically look for alternative web browsers. The REAL reason is that they don't want other people releasing browsers that stops people from using Safari on it, or maybe including stuff that they generally ban for their own political ends (like Flash, maybe?).

Anonymous Coward
Stop
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Flash

You know why they don't support flash.

1, it's shit

2, it's buggy as hell.

This post has been deleted by its author

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward
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Really?

Have you tried Opera 10.50 Beta? Faster than anything else out there, even faster than Chrome's Dev channel release.

Menno 1
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Why not give users a choice?

You obviously haven't used Opera much, it's one of the best browsers out there and many of the features found in leading browsers today have been copied from Opera. I acknowledge this even though it's not my current browser of choice.

Secondly Opera complaining about the monopoly practices of Microsoft seems fair considering how much Microsoft has abused its position, be it browsers, operating systems, etc.

Thirdly why do you think you know what is best for iPhone users? Why not give people the choice?

cramleir
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Come On

OS X users deal with the "confusion" of choice all the time. How many of them use firefox or chrome rather than safari? Apple simply doesnt want competition for its own browser. If it did, it might be forced to continue to innovate to keep its own browser viable, something it clearly would rather not have to do.

Steven Knox
FAIL
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Since when..

is simply showing that there is an alternative "complaining"?

"Be it an iPhone, or an iMac or Apple TV you switch it on it integrates into your network job done"

That reminds me of the disclaimer on every iPhone ad I've seen: "sequences shortened". Here's a hint for you. If your network is even marginally well secured, it just doesn't happen that way. If it's that easy to connect to your network, you've probably got a few visitors you don't even know about.

"You introduce someone elses stuff you get instability, bugs and exploits that need fixing because of unknowns being introduced."

So you've downloaded NO non-Apple apps for your iPhone, then?

Anonymous Coward
FAIL
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Choice

The choice is already there.

Safari may come free but there is a Google browser (and indeed dozens of others!)

Apple are unlikely to block it without good reason and I'll be quite surprised if they do block it since they've let lots of others through...

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Steven Knox
Linux
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I got your point...

I just don't agree with it:

"But the argument here is simple Opera are complaining they don't get a a fair chance when what they are demanding is their product is distributed to everyone without them having to do the leg work."

Opera have never demanded that their product be distributed without them doing any work. They asked the EU to prevent Microsoft from using their monopolistic OS market share to gain (or maintain) undue leverage in the browser market. Even if you were to consider that to be unnecessary complaining, that is not what they are doing here. They're demonstrating a product on hardware for which it has yet to be approved. That's all. By the way, if you're really worried about self-interested corporate whinging, I'd suggest you review Steve Jobs' whine-fest about the GooglePhone.

"Oh and my network is very secure including separate networks for Wireless N and Wireless G clients with WPA keys so I am quite confident their is no one on my network."

Which means that when you turn on a brand new piece of *any* hardware, it won't automatically configure to your network; you'll have to set up the encryption parameters. Which is exactly what I told you.

shaunm
Welcome

Freudian

"iPhone users don't want choice, they want simplicity"

Or could it be they are all closet submissives?

Why have choice and free will when you can easily have Jobs standing behind you going "no your not doing it right ..O give it here you clearly cant be trusted"

Just a thought.

Bilgepipe
Gates Horns
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Don't be a fool

Jobs doesn't choose the software Mac/iPhone users use, and if you used either you'd know what you were talking about. All the hater hyperbole you Windozers keep spewing out just makes you sound bitter and twisted.

Paul Ireland

Opera Mini or Opera Mobile

I find it strange that Opera would be pushing their Java based Opera Mini browser, when a closer match would have simply been their Opera Mobile product, which already is a native application. I have downloaded and run Opera Mobile for Symbian Series 60 on my Nokia 5800 as an additional browser, and it works OK, although the Nokia 5800 built-in browser is good too and has some support for Flash (Flash Lite).

It would be nice if Apple would allow Opera Mobile into their app store, or even better an Opera Mobile with Adobe Flash support, but I can't see this happening anytime soon based on what Apple are saying about not wanting competing products, products with their own scripting, etc. It is possible to get Opera with some Flash (Flash Lite) on the Nintendo Wii, but the Opera for the Nintendo DS does not have Flash.

John 62

full opera, not mini! or...

... Opera just put their own UI around webkit. I'm sure there are loads of UI improvements Opera could make over MobileSafari.ipa.

Anonymous Coward
Grenade

Jobs v the EU Courts...here we come!

Can't see anything else in Opera's strategy here. In the fight with MS, MS never stopped them adding Opera, it was open to it, it's just not supplied with it and not a choice on install till the EU Courts got them. Now we have Apple in the same situation, or quiet probably the largest market share mobile phone actively banning competition, and barring Opera's browser.

If they manage to get the same judge sheesh Apples so screwed!

Marcus 8

Opera user here

I was a skeptic about using opera software, but one year I started using it over Firefox and IE.. so much so I paid -yes paid-(when it was still pay for) for it.

I would like to see opera come to the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

I don't think many people who use mobile phones for web browsing would honestly stick with the default browser..

Rss feeds built into Opera Mobile, Sync between your phone, apple stuff and your pc? Nice...

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

iPhone users do want choice.

Safari is shit, whether it's on the Mac or the iPhone. Apple don't allow other browsers on the iPhone so do not feel compelled to make Safari any better.

Of course iPhone users would like a choice. I'd like to choose Firefox.

Dan Wilkinson
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Fixed that for you :)

*I think* Safari is shit, whether it's on the Mac or the iPhone.

Apple *do*{n't} allow other browsers on the iPhone so do not feel compelled to make Safari any better.

Anonymous Coward
FAIL
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RE: iPhone users do want choice

...and they get it. Simply because Apple DO allow other browsers on the iPhone.

I have got Google browser on my phone but I could have downloaded DOZENS of them and had them all installed, side by side...

So you FAIL!

(Besides which, Safari on the iPhone is actually pretty good!)

K
Thumb Down

Umm

" iPhone users don't want choice, they want simplicity"

What bollocks! I'm an iPhone owner and I want choice!

Nat Pryce

Choice? It's all about reliability.

IPhone users don't want choice... they want an unreliable browser that frequently crashes and can take out their entire phone. And Safari does that job perfectly well thank you.

Subtilior

App Store HAS ALTERNATIVE WEB BROWSERS

The App Store ALREADY CONTAINS ALTERNATIVE WEB BROWSERS, by Gum. iCab, for example, is a good example. Unless Apple has actually rejected them already with this excuse, then I call bullshitanigans on Opera.

Anonymous Coward
Stop

Small but significant adjustment

"iPhone users don't want choice, they want simplicity"

should read

"target market segment iPhone users don't want choice, they want simplicity"

i.e. Apple want to sell the device to people who want a seamless, simple experience - they take care of everything, they minimise complexity. The iPhone aims to be an "appliance" - would you want a config.sys and system.ini file to be able to edit on your TV to be able to change how it behaves ? Some people like to buy a topfield PVR so they can tinker, 99% of the population want a simple, easy to use PVR - in fact, some people want a PVR to behave just like a video recorder - see http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/07/24/review_digital_video_recorder_digital_vision_gigo_dv_dtr1/

David Webb

oerr

"Apple thinks an alternative browser would confuse users, just as an alternative e-mail or music download client would, and they're probably right"

Change that to:

Microsoft thinks an alternative browser would confuse users.

Of course, the DoJ, EU etc.. all disagreed with that, but as it's Apple and not Microsoft, we'll overlook it a little.

Anonymous Coward
Flame
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A little kitten dies...

...every time someone posts a comment about abuse of monopoly without actually understanding that it requires __having_a_monopoly__.

(and no, the iPhone is not a market - smartphones are)

I hope you are happy. Kitty killer.

Anonymous Coward
Stop
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RE: ooer

Of course Apple DO allow other browsers on the iPhone... as other posters have already said.

...I've downloaded one myself...

Si 1

Opera Turbo is pointless on o2

They've got their transparent proxy set to mangle images already, so having it done twice by o2 and Opera would probably slow things down and ruin the images further.

There's one other reason there's no need for Opera on iPhone- unless it supports Flash or Java it's not going to be any better than Safari anyway, so why waste the storage on it?

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward
Reply Icon

Flash

If it supports Flash then I'm not going to install it, just in case I come across a site that actually uses Flash. It's slow, buggy and VERY prone to crashing browsers. I know - it crashed mine last night!

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

Is "Perfect Browser" an illusion?

I have the "Perfect Browser" application on my iphone which I downloaded from iTunes. So what's this about Apple not allowing other browsers?

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

Opera Mini 6x faster than Safari

Come on, Bill...what's with the fact-free, "soap opera"-type coverage between Apple & Opera (no pun intended).

It will be interesting to see if Opera's advtanges -- tests showing 6x faster rendering than Safari and 9x less data (ergo cheaper data plan) -- will be allowed for iPhone's non-US, tiered data plan customers.

http://my.opera.com/haavard/blog/2010/02/10/opera-mini-iphone

ScissorHands
Stop

Not browsers, browser ENGINES

Yes, you can download other browsers. They just use the same browser engine as Mobile Safari. Apple will emphatically not allow other engines , though (not even Google's version of WebKit, let alone Gecko or Opera). These "browsers" (even Google's) are skins over Safari.

At the same time, Java is not allowed. So Opera builds a native application (no Java) that does the same that Opera Mini does: it requests rendered and reformatted pages from the Opera server farm (where the render engine is Opera), and renders this "thin-and-light" version in a skinned Mobile Safari with Opera bookmark sync, tab handling and branding. For Internet statistics, the sites were accessed by Opera, so it's a wizard's wheeze.

Phil Koenig
FAIL

@James Harrington,. re: "non-Apple software"

"First off I genuinely do have very few non apple apps on my computer and iPhone. I use OS X, iWork, iLife as the majority of my work is done building websites from CMS's like wordpress. "

I truly love these throwback types.

A web developer who pretends there is only one web browser in use in the world. Tim Berners-Lee would be awfully proud of 'ya.

James O'Brien
Joke

Well then

"Opera is better for one-handed operation: making a better stab at guessing the ideal zoom level for reading"

My guess is 150% so you odnt ruin your eyesight while cracking one out :)

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